Door-operating mechanism for passenger-cars.



P. R. FORMAN.

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM FOR PASSENGER CARS.

APPLICATlON FILED NOV. 6. I912.

Patented July 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

COLUMBIA PLANouRAPh CO" WASHINGTON. l). c.

P. R. FORMAN.

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM FOR PASSENGER CARS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-6.19I2.

Patented July 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

d I L 'Ill Ill III COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH CID-,WASHINOTON, D. c.

PARIS a. Forearm, or crrroaeo. I LINOIS, As sIenon T0. NATIONALPNEUMATIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, n. Y., A ooitronn'rron or wns'rVIRGINIA.

DOQR'-OIPERATI1\TG MECHANISM FOR PASSENGER-CARS;

Specification of LettersPatent. Patented July 27, 1915 Application filedNovember 6, 1912. SertalNo. 729,731.

'made a certain new and useful Invention in Door-Operating Mechanism forPassenger- Cars, of which the followinglsa specification.

This invention relates to door operating mechanism for passenger cars.

The object of the invention is to provide a construction andarrangementof door operating mechanism for passenger cars which is simple andefiicient.

A further object is to provide a construction and arrangement of dooroperating mechanism wherein a single operating or control handle mayserve to operate or control the operation of different doors or of doorson opposite sides of the car.

A further object is to provide an arrangement for facilitating theentrance and exit of passengers to and from the car, and whether theentry andexit of the passengers is accomplished on one side or the otherof the car.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination,location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fullyhereinafter set forth, as shown in the drawings, and finally pointed outin the claims.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a view in floor plan, parts broken off, andparts in horizontal section, showing a portion of a street car and theapplication thereto of an arrangement of entry'and eXit way and dooroperating mechanism therefor, embodying the principles of my invention.Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the control stand, one set of the controlarms or-rods being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation, parts broken application of a dooroperating mechanism embodying my lnvention' and an exemplificatlon of anentry and exit way for passenger cars, I have shown a portion of a carwlth slde doorways on opposite sides thereof. As is obvious, these maybe at either or both ends of the car or intermediate its ends, as in thecase of a center entrance type of car. Where my invention is applied toa car of the center entrance type, the portions at opposite sides of theentrance, indicated at 10, 11, constitute the seating spaces forpassengers, and these portions may communicate with the entry and exitplatform or landing13i, in any suitable or convenient manner. I shalltherefore refer to the platas the landin form portion 13,

and as be distinct from either or both of the seatlng portions 10, 11.

At each side of the landing 13, are three doorways, in the par ticularform shown in the case of a center entrance car, each doorway having adoor. I shall refer to the center door of the three at each side of thelanding as the entrance door, and the ones on opposite sides of thecenter one as the exit door. The doors may be of any suitable orconvenient type or construction. I have shown the exit doors as of theswinging type, and the entrance doors as of the folding type, butobviously I am not to be limitedor restricted in this respect. Whereswinging exit doors are employed, and in the arrangement shown, they arecomposed'of the swinging sections 14, 15, 14, 15', 16, 17, 16, 17'; andin the case of the folding entrance doors they are j composedofthefolding sections 18, 19, 20, 21, 18, 19, 20, 21'. The door sections 14:,14, 17, 17 are respectively carried by vertical shafts 22, 23, 24, 25,located at their outer edges and adjacent the door posts 26, 27, 28, 29.Upon each of said door shafts are crank arms indicated indotted lines at30, 31 (see Fig. 1) through which said shafts are rotated to swing thedoor sections into open or closed position. Similarly, the door sections15, 15, 16,16, arecarried by vertical shafts respectively, 32, 33, 34,35 at the outeredges of said door sections which are located adjacentthe door posts 36, 37, 38, 39 and each of said shafts is provided with acrank arm indicated at dotted lines 4O, 41, through which said shaftsand with them the cooperating door sections are rocked into their openor closed position. In like manner the door panels .18, 18',-21, 21 arecarried on vertical shafts 42, 43, 44,45 having crank arms indicated indotted lines at 4:6, 4:7 for a similar purpose, the panels 19, 19, 20and 20 folding back upon the panel 18, 18, 21, 21 respectively, beingsuitably not, as it is obvious that the same door or door sections maycontrol both the entrance and exit passages.

Located opposite the entry doorway, and in the preferred arrangement, asshown, is a stand 48, which serves to define a station for the conductoror cashier, and at which station is located means for controlling thedoors at the entrance and exit doorways. In practice I prefer to locatethis station opposite the entrance doorway and at a point midway thetransverse width of the landing or platform, and between the entrancedoorways on the opposite sides of the car and approximately midway thecommunication of the platform or landing with the seating spaces of thecar. In the case of a center entrance car, or .entrance intermediate theends of the car, I prefer to locate the conductors station atapproximately the mid point of the landing or platform. By thisarrangement entering passagers can distribute themselves on one side orthe other I of the conductors station in passing from the entry doorwayto the seating space of the car at one end or the other, the saidstation forming a division barrier for this purpose and by defining aconductors station at the point indicated not only are passengers ableto pass on opposite sides of the conductors station in entering the carso as to reach the seating space at one end or the other of the car butthey also pass by the conductors station where they pay their faresbefore entering the seating spaces or portions of the car. This verygreatly facilitates the entering movements of passengers and thecollectlon of their fares before entering the seating portions of thecarwhile at the same time permitting distribution of the passengers to therespective ends 7 of the car, thereby securing a desirable dis- Itribution of the weight or load of the passengers.

It is obvious that any suitable, convenient or well known means may belocated at the conductors station for facilitating the making of changeor deposit of fares but as these form no partof-mypresentinventionfurther description thereof is an necessary.

If desiredpthe landing portion or plat form 13 may communicate in anydesired manner with the interioror seating portlons of the car. In theparticular form shown as exemplifying a practical arrangement embodyingmy invention I have shown bulk-heads between the lanlding or platform 13and the end portions 10, 11 of the car and comprising or includingdoorways controlled by doors 4-9, 50, 51, 52 which, in the form shown,are of the sliding type and designed to slide into pockets 58, 54, 55,56 in a well known manner, said doors operating transversely ofthe car,eachcooperating pair meeting at a center post 57, 58, when closed.Suitable barriers, indicated at 59, 60arearranged 'on opposite sides ofthe control stand 48, the functions of which are to divide'the landingspace into separate passageways forentering and alighting passengers,the passageway for entering passengers being directed alongside thecontrol stand whereby the entering passengers are compelled to pass inconvenient relation to the controlstand to enable the conductor at thecontrol stand to collect their fares before they pass on by and into theseating space of the car. At the same time these barriers affordconvenienthand grips for passengers-while passing along the passageways,whether'entering or leaving the car. The barriers v59, 60, may have anysuitable or convenient arrangement and relation. In the particular formshown, and in order to illustrate my invention, the barriers extend fromthe center landing posts 57, 58, respectively, to the posts 36, 38 onone side of the landing which separate the exit from the entrancedoorways. Where the opposite side of the landing is used the barriersare turned or reversed so as to extend from thecenter posts 57, 58, tothedoor posts 37, 39 on theoppos'ite side of the landing, as indicatedin dotted lines in Fig. 1. My invention, however, in its broadest scope,as defined in the claims, is not to be limited to the specificarrangement shown and above described. It is obvious that the doors to,50, 51, 52, which separate the landing from the interior of the seatingspace of the car may be omitted, if desired,

in which event the: interior seating portions of the car communicateunobstructedly with the landing, with means located on the landing orplatform to direct incoming and leaving passengers in different paths orstreams so as not to interfere or to block each other, i

In the practical operation of a car constructed and arranged as abovedescribed,

entering passengers, board the car onto the portion 61 of the landing orplatform 13,

either with or without side steps, indicated at 62, according as the caris of the low or high floor level type. It is also obvious that anysuitable or well known type of step, either fixed or foldable,accessible or inaccessible, and operated in any convenient or well knownway, may be employed. From this point 61, which is in front of thecontrol stand, or between said stand and the entering doorway, in theparticular arrangement shown, the passengers are directed by thebarriers 59, 60, past the control stand on their way toward the seatingspaces of the car. In the particular arrangement shown the passengershave their choice of passing to one side or the other of the controlstand through the passages indicated at 63,64, and thence on through thedoorways or passages, 65, 66, into one or the other end or seatingportions of the car, as occasion may require. Passengers desiring toalight from the car will be directed from the seating spaces. at theopposite sides of the landing or platform 13, through the passages67,68, to the exit doorway. Of course it will be understood that whenone side of the landing or platform is utilized for boarding andalighting passengers, the doors on the opposite side of the platform arekept closed. It will also be understood that while the conductorsstation is at the control stand, ordinarily he will position himselfbetween the control stand and the closed side of the landing orplatform, or the side thereof which is not being used as an entering orexit side. At the same time the conductor is permitted a considerablefreedom of movement while still remaining within easy reach of thecontrol stand.

The .doors, where such doors are employed at the sides of the landingmay be operated,

or the operation thereof controlled in any suitable or convenient mannerand by any suitable or convenient construction and arrangement ofoperating and control devices. I have shown a simple construction andarrangement of devices for this purpose which embodies many advantageousfeatures and which I will now describe.

Suitably journaled in the control stand 48, are the vertical shafts 69,70, 71, upon each of which is secured an operating handle 72, 73, 7 4,by which said shafts may be rotated. Also mounted upon each shaft, inone form of construction embodying my invention, are two cam plates ormembers 75, 76, see Fig. 3, each provided with a cam track or groove. InFig. 2 the cam track or groove of the uppermost plate or member of eachshaft is indicated in dotted lines at 77. The cam grooves in the plates75, 76 are peculiarly shaped. Thus each plate is provided or formed witha groove which is curved concentrically with the aXis of the shaft onwhich the plate is mounted, for a portion of the length of the groove,and is eccentric to the said axis for another portion of its length.Associated with each cam plate is a pivotally mounted lever engaging atone end in the cam groove thereof. Thus, in Fig. 3, a lever 78, ispivotally mounted as at 7 9, and has its end 80 engaged in the camgroove of plate 75, while another lever 81, pivotally mounted as at 82,has its end 83 engaged in the cam groove of plate 76. The cam plates 75,7 6, mounted on the same shaft are so related to each other, and sorelatively arranged that when the control handle as 72, thereof, isturned in one direction from a normal or initial position, the engagingend of one of the levers 78, 81 will be engaged by the concentricallycurved por tion of the cam groove 77, in its associated cam plate ormember, and consequently, said lever will be held against rockingmovement, while at the same time the end of the other lever will beengaged by the cam portion of the groove in its associated cam plate,and consequently said lever will be rocked. One of the levers 78, 81 isdesigned to be connected to doors on one side of the landing while theother is designed to be conducted to the corresponding doors on theopposite side of the landing. Thus in the arrangement shown, lever 78,is connected through rods 84, 85, with the crank arms 31, 11,respectively, of door operating shafts 24, 34:, while lever 81, isintended to be similarly connected to crank arms on the door operatingshafts 23, 33, on the opposite side of the landing. In the same mannerthe cam plates on each control shaft operate pivoted levers which arerespectively connected to corresponding doors on opposite sides of thelanding or platform, and said cam plates are so relatively arranged thatwhen the handle of the control shaft is turned in one direction from acontrol or initial position the door on one side of the landing will beoperated While the corresponding door on theother side of the landingwill not be operated, and when said control handle is turned in theother direction from its cen* tral or initial position, the reverse ofthis action will take place. Of course it is to be understood that asufiicient range of movement of the control handle on each side of itsinitial position is permitted to enable the working door to be openedand closed without moving the corresponding door on the opposite side ofthe landing.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I provide aconstruction of door operating devices wherein a single control handlecontrols the operation of doors on opposite sides of the landing butthat one of the doors is not operated when the other is in operation.

In the construction above described two separate cam plates are mountedon the same control shaft, one concerned in the operation of the doorson one side of the landing and the other concerned in the operation ofthe corresponding doors on the opposite side of the landing. In somecases I may dispense with one of the cam plates and use only one witheach control shaft. Such a construction is shownin Figs. 4 and 5. Inthis case a single cam plate 86, is mounted on each shaft 69, 70, 71,each cam plate having a cam groove which is curved concentrically withits aXis between the points 87, 88, in one direction peripherallythereof, as indicated at 89, Fig. 5, and is cam shaped between saidpoints 87, 88, on the other peripheral direc tion, as indicated at 90.In this arrangement the ends of both levers 78, 81, engage in the samecam groove, but when the control shaft carrying the cam plate is turnedin one direction from an initial position, the engaging end of one ofthe levers will work in the concentric portion of the cam groove whilethat of the other lever will work in the cam portion of the cam groove,and when the control shaft is turned in the other direction the reverseof this action takes place, thereby securing identically the sameoperation as above described with reference to the arrangement shown inFigs. 2 and 3. In this arrangement both doors may be opened, if desired,by the movement of the control handle in the same continuous direc tion.The doors will be opened consecutively, however, and not in unison, anda reverse movement of the control handle will in like manner close thedoors consecutively.

Having now set forth the object and nature of my invention and variousconstructions and arrangements embodying the principles thereof, what Iclaim as new and useful, and of my own invention, and desire to secureby Letters Patent is,

1. A car having a landing or platform intermediate its ends arranged tocommunicate with seating portions at opposite ends thereof, said landingor platform having a door in the side thereof, a stand located on theplatform opposite said side door to divide the space opposite said doorinto separated passages leading respectively to the seating portions ofthe car and means located at said stand to control the operation of thedoor.

2. A car having a landing or platform intermediate its ends arranged tocommunicate with seatingportions at the respective ends thereof, saidlanding or platform having doors in the sides thereof opposite eachother, a stand located on the landing or platform opposite and betweensaid side doors to form separated passageways leading respectively tothe seating portions of the car, and means located at said stand forcontrolling the operation of said doors.

3. The combination with. a landing or platform communicating at each endwith car seating spaces and having a side doorway and a door for thedoorway, of a stand located on the landing or platform opposite saiddoorway, means located at said stand to control the operation of thedoor, and barriers located on opposite sides of said stand to divide thespace on opposite sides of said stand into separate passages.

4. The combination with a landing or platform communicating at each endwith seating portions, and having a door in the side thereof, of a standlocated on the landing or platform opposite said door to form separatepassages to the respective seating portions of the car, means located atsaid stand for controllingv the door movements, and a barrier located ateach side of said stand, and between the same and the adjacent seatingportion to divide the space between said stand and seating portion intoseparate passageways.

5. The combination of a landing or platformcommunicating at therespective ends thereof with passenger seating portions, and havingdoorways and doors in the sides thereof opposite each other, a standlocated on the landing or platform opposite and between said doorways,means carried'thereby to control the operation-of the doors, andbarriers, located in the spaces between said stand and the passengerseating portions to divide the same into separate passageways.

6. The combination of a landing or platform communicating at therespective ends thereof with passenger seating portions and having doorsin the sides thereof, opposite each other, controlling means for saiddoors located on the landing or platform opposite andbetween said doorsto form separated passages from the side doors to the respective seatingportions of thecar, and barriers located in the spaces between saidcontrolling means and the passenger. seating portions to divide the sameinto separate passageways.

way to divide the landing into separate passages from the side doorwayto the respective passenger seating spaces, barriers located in each ofsaid passages to divide the same into separate entrance and eXit waysand doors for controlling said entrance and exit ways.

8. In a center entrance car, a landing communicating at its ends withpassenger seating spaces, and having a doorway in each side thereof andopposite each other, a stand located on the landing opposite and betweensaid doors to divide the landing into separate passages from each sidedoorway to the respective passenger seating spaces, barriers fordividing said passages into separate en.

trance and exit ways and doors for controlling said entrance and exitways.

In a center entrance car, a landing communicating at its endswithpassenger seating spaces and having a door in the side thereof, meansfor controlling the operation of said door, said means located on thelanding opposite said door to divide the landing into separate passagesbetween the door and the respective seating spaces, and a barrierlocated in each of said passages to divide the same into separateentrance and exit ways. i

10. In a center entrance car, a landing communicating at its ends withpassenger seating spaces and having doors in the sides thereof oppositeeach other, means for controlling the operations of said doors, saidmeans located on the landing opposite and between said doors to dividethe landing on each side thereof into separate passageways from saidrespective doors to the seating spaces respectively, and a barrier todivide each of said passageways into separate entrance and exit ways.

11. The combination with a landing communicating at the ends thereofwith passenger seating spaces and having an entrance and an exit doorwayin the side thereof, doors for said doorways, a stand located on thelanding opposite said entrance doorway to divide the landing intoseparate passages from said entrance door to the respective seatingspaces, a barrier arranged in each of said passages and separating theentrance from the exit doors, and means located at said stand tocontrolthe operation o f said doors.

12. In the combination with a landing communicating at the ends thereofwith passenger seating spaces and having'en-' trance and exit doorwaysin each side thereof, doors for said doorways, a stand located on thelanding opposite and between said entrance doorways to divide thelanding into separate passages from said side doorways on each side ofthe landing to the respective seating spaces, a barrier for saidpassages and separating the entrance from the exit doors, and meanslocated at the stand for controlling the operation of said doors.

13. The combination with a landing communicating at the ends thereofwith passenger seating spaces, and having entrance and exit doors in theside thereof, of means for .controlling the operations of said doors,

said means located on the landing opposite the entrance door to dividethe landing into separate passages from said doors to the respectiveseating spaces, and a barrier to separate the entrance and exit doorsfor each seating space from each other said barriers located in saidseparated passages to divide the same into separate entrance and exitways.

14. The combination with a landing communicating at the ends thereofwith seating spaces located at opposite ends thereof and having entranceand exit doors opposite each other in the sides thereof, of means forcontrolling the operation of said doors, said means located on theplatform opposite and between said entrance doors, to divide theplatform into separate passages from the side doors to the respectiveseating spaces, and a barrier to divide each of said passages intoseparate entrance and exit ways, said barriers separating the entrancefrom the exit doors.

15. A center entrance car having doors arranged opposite each other onopposite sides thereof, a control stand, and means carried thereby forcontrolling the operation of both doors, the operating means for onedoor being inoperative when those of the other doors are in action.

16. A center entrance car having a landing portion, doors arrangedopposite each other on opposite sides of said landing portion, a controlstand located on the platform between said side doorways to formseparated passages leading from the side doorways to the respective endsof the car, a shaft journaled in said stand, connections intermediatesaid shaft and each of said doors for operating said doors, and meanswhereby when said connections are operative to move one door theconnections to the other door are inactive.

17. A car having a landing or platform in the side thereof intermediateits ends,

seating spaces at each end of the car at the ends of said landing orplatform, said landing or platform having an entrance doorway in theside thereof, and also an exit doorway at each side of said entrancedoorway, barriers separating the entrance and exit doorways and formingseparated entrance and exit passages, said exit passages leadingrespectively from the end seating spaces of the car, doors forcontrolling the entrance and exit doorways, and means located oppositethe central or entrance doorway to control said doors.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of thesubscribing witnesses, on this first day of November A. D., 1912.

PARIS R. FORMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. O.

